Four Rio Tinto employees in China were accused by the government of China of bribing Chinese officials. The company asserted it had no evidence that the activity took place but, nevertheless, fired the imprisoned employees.
If Rio Tinto management believed no bribery had occurred, was it ethical to fire employees convicted of a crime related to the business? Does your answer depend on whether or not the company officials believed the Chinese government would punish the company if it did not fire them?